Contribution of NADH oxidase to aerobic metabolism of Streptococcus pyogenes.

ABSTRACT: An understanding of how the heme-deficient gram-positive bacterium Streptococcus pyogenes establishes infections in O(2)-rich environments requires careful analysis of the gene products important in aerobic metabolism. NADH oxidase (NOXase) is a unique flavoprotein of S. pyogenes and other lactic acid bacteria which directly catalyzes the four-electron reduction of O(2) to H(2)O. To elucidate a putative role for this enzyme in aerobic metabolism, NOXase-deficient mutants were constructed by insertional inactivation of the gene that encodes NOXase. Characterization of the resulting mutants revealed that growth in rich medium under low-O(2) conditions was indistinguishable from that of the wild type. However, the mutants were unable to grow under high-O(2) conditions and demonstrated enhance

SUBMITTER: Gibson CM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC94295 | biostudies-literature | 2000 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature